2009-03-06 06:17:02
Imogen Foulkes
BBC News, Geneva
The economic crisis could increase the number of unemployed women by up to 22
million this year, the International Labour Organization (ILO) says.
In a report assessing employment trends for women, the ILO warns that they will
not escape the downturn.
The global crisis began in the financial sectors of the world's richest
countries, in jobs traditionally dominated by men.
But unemployment is now spreading well beyond these sectors, the ILO says.
Jeff Johnson, author of the report, says: "The sectors that were initially
impacted the hardest, which were finance, insurance and real estate,
construction and manufacturing were often dominated by male workers.
"But as this crisis has played out, it's hit other sectors of the economy -
service-orientated sectors, wholesale retail trade - which in many
industrialised economies are dominated by females."
Jobs disappear
As consumer confidence wanes, more traditionally female jobs such as waitresses
and shop assistants, are all disappearing too.
The ILO is especially worried about women in the developing world, working in
agriculture, or as domestic servants, on a piecemeal basis.
They have no social protection and are especially vulnerable during an economic
downturn.
The ILO is predicting a global rise in unemployment this year of up to 51
million people - 22 million, it believes, will be women.
The organisation is calling on governments to ensure that new jobs created by
economic stimulus packages guarantee fair salaries, and social protection
measures.